UW Extension to Host Annual Harvest Wyoming Conference in Cheyenne March 8

For those interested in home gardening and small-scale food production, University of Wyoming Extension will host a one-day conference in Cheyenne Saturday, March 8.

The event is part of UW Extension’s Harvest Wyoming initiative, which provides practical resources for Wyoming residents interested in growing their own food.

The conference will take place in the Clay Pathfinder Building on the Laramie County Community College campus, located at 1400 E. College Drive. Registration begins at 7:50 a.m., followed by opening remarks at 8:30 a.m. Workshops are scheduled 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

“If people want to be involved with local foods to any extent, this is a great place to start,” says Hannah Mills, Laramie County horticulture program coordinator. “We’ll cover in-depth topics as well as the basics, so both sides of the spectrum can learn.”

Conference sessions will address season extension, irrigation management, edible landscaping, vertical growing, pest management, market growing, deep winter greenhouses, intercropping, growing berries and small fruits, gardening for insects and risk management.

Sessions are organized into four concurrent tracks, and participants can attend any workshops of their choice. Recordings of all sessions will be made available to registered participants after the event.

At noon, keynote speaker Whitney Cranshaw, professor emeritus of entomology at Colorado State University, will share the results of a two-year demonstration garden study of more than 250 plants from around the world, with a focus on unusual vegetables and herbs.

To view a full schedule of events and to register, visit www.wyoextension.org/harvestwyo/. Registration costs $30 and closes Tuesday, March 4. Lunch is included in the registration fee.

Conference attendees also are encouraged to visit vendor booths throughout the day. Vendors include a variety of nonprofits and organizations involved in local food production, including Eat Wyoming, Laramie County Conservation District, Rooted in Wyoming, the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and UW’s GrowinG Internship Program.

Harvest Wyoming is supported by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Program. Event partners include the Barnyards & Backyards team, Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and Laramie County Community College.

For more information, email Mills at hmorneau@uwyo.edu or call (307) 633-4480.

About University of Wyoming Extension

UW Extension serves Wyoming communities by helping residents apply university research and resources to practical problems. Since 1914, UW Extension has provided educational programs and tools to the state’s 23 counties and the Wind River Indian Reservation. From 4-H programming and pesticide safety education to food preservation and nutrition courses, UW Extension upholds the university’s land-grant mission by offering learning opportunities for people of all ages. UW Extension staff members help Wyoming residents boost agricultural production; care for lawns and gardens; cultivate future leaders; support individual and community well-being; and develop thriving businesses.

For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/uwe or call (307) 766-5124.